Galangal, also known as greater galangal, lesser galangal, or ginger, is a plant that grows wild and is cultivated for its culinary and medicinal uses. It can be harvested year-round, but the best time is during the autumn, winter, and early spring before the drizzle, making it easier to dry.
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Galangal Rhizome (Image: foodsubs) |
According to Professor Đỗ Tất Lợi, the chemical composition of galangal contains about 1% essential oil, which has a fragrant camphor-like smell, primarily composed of cineole and methyl cinnamate. Additionally, it contains a spicy oil compound known as galangol…
Galangal has several benefits: It warms the stomach, dispels cold, alleviates pain, and aids digestion. Galangal is utilized in both modern medicine and traditional medicine as a digestive stimulant, enhancing appetite, treating bloating, abdominal pain due to cold, abdominal distension, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is effective against malaria caused by cold or hot fevers, toothaches, and various conditions caused by wind, warming the spleen and stomach, and treating long-term dysentery, vomiting, and cramps.
Prescriptions containing galangal:
– For stomach pain due to cold deficiency: Characterized by intermittent pain that worsens with cold or hunger, bloating, vomiting clear fluids, loose stools, poor appetite, fear of cold, pale tongue, white tongue coating, and a weak pulse. Use a decoction of: greater galangal and nutmeg each 6-10g; lily bulb and salvia each 30g; angelica 9-12g; clove 6-9g; cardamom 3-6g. Brew and consume.
– For acute stomach pain: Pain is severe and uncomfortable, with nausea and poor appetite. Use the following ingredients: greater galangal (prepared with rhubarb), bitter orange peel, dried tangerine peel, musk root, and calamus each 6g; clove 4g; hawthorn 15g. Brew and consume one decoction daily.
– For severe stomach pain: Characterized by intense pain, restlessness, cold extremities, pale lips, and bloating. Use a decoction with peony and licorice: fried white peony 30g, licorice 10g, greater galangal 10g, sandalwood 10g, and angelica 15g. Grind into powder, and consume with boiled water, or brew one decoction daily.
– For abdominal pain due to cold and vomiting: Use 8g of greater galangal and 5g of jujube. Brew with 300ml of water until it reduces to 100ml; divide into 2-3 doses throughout the day.
– For reduced appetite during malaria: Roast 40g of greater galangal with sesame oil and 40g of dried ginger, grind both to a fine powder, mix with pig bile, and form into pills the size of corn kernels. Consume 15-20 pills daily.
– For abdominal pain, side pain, bloating, and diarrhea: Use 12g of greater galangal and 12g of nutmeg. Grind into powder, form into pills or brew for pain relief.
